04/12/2016, 8:45am EDTBy MTB
Gamecocks claim 2016 Title
South Carolina scored early in the second half and then again at the death to break a 7-7 halftime knot and claim the Southeastern Collegiate Rugby Conference Olympic Rugby Championship on Saturday, April 16 in Columbia, South Carolina.
8 teams competed in the championship based on results of 2 qualifying events – one in Tuscaloosa on April 2 and the other on April 09 in Knoxville. 2016 was by far the most competitive sevens season in conference history with many teams advancing their game to championship level.
Teams now await post season assignments with South Carolina securing the bid to the USA Rugby National Championship Tournament held the last weekend in May. It is anticipated that other SCRC teams will also receive invitations. Since USC has already secured a spot in the 2016 CRC, the automatic birth for the conference will fall to the finalist – Tennessee.
Pools
A
1. 3-0 Alabama (28)
4. 2-1 South Carolina (23.5)
5. 1-2 Georgia (20.5)
8. 0-3 Florida (16.5)
B
2. 2-1 Mississippi State (25)
3. 2-1 Tennessee (24)
6. 1-2 Mississippi (19.5)
7. 1-2 Auburn (19)
Pool Play
09:00 Alabama 42, Florida 0
09:20 South Carolina 26, Georgia 0
09:40 Mississippi State 22, Auburn 17
10:00 Tennessee 17, Mississippi 14
10:20 Alabama 19, South Carolina 12
10:40 Georgia 28, Florida 19
11:00 Mississippi State 20, Tennessee 19
11:20 Mississippi 14, Auburn 19
11:40 Alabama 19, Georgia 7
12:00 South Carolina 38, Florida 12
12:20 Mississippi State 7, Mississippi 19
12:40 Tennessee 21, Auburn 14
Playoffs
Bowl Semifinal
2:00 Georgia 26, Ole Miss 17
2:20 Florida v Auburn
Cup Semifinal
2:40 Alabama 10, Tennessee 22
3:00 South Carolina 31, Mississippi State 7
Shield Championship / 7th
4:00 Ole Miss v Florida
Bowl Championship / 5th
4:20 Georgia 22, Auburn 17
Plate Championship / 3rd
4:40 Alabama 22, Mississippi State 10
Cup Championship / Final
5:00 South Carolina 21, Tennessee 7
Final Rankings
1. South Carolina
2. Tennessee
3. Alabama
4. Mississippi State
5. Georgia
6. Auburn
7. Ole Miss
8. Florida
Qualifying Process
Teams earned points based on participation and results of the Sevens Series events. 15 pts awarded to the highest finishing SCRC team, 14 to the second highest finishing team, etc. The best finishes from the two events will be used to determine the point total for the teams. Any tie in points will be broken through evaluation of the finishes. The top eight (8) teams shall advance to the SCRC Championship Tournament on April 16.
Rank Determination
1. Total points from two tournaments
2. Single highest finish
3. Head to head record during the three events
4. Point differential of the head to head contests
Team must be compliant with USA Collegiate Eligibility Regulations and must forward eligibility documentation prior to the event. The conference must have a completed collegiate eligibility player form on file that has a spring semester date. Errors or omissions on this document could jeopardize eligibility of the entire team. Prior to the first match of the day, a 15 man roster must be submitted with accompanying photo ID to verify each participant.
Championship Tournament
Teams are divided into two pools of four teams, who play a round-robin within the pool. Points are awarded in each pool on a different schedule from most rugby tournaments—3 for a win, 2 for a draw, 1 for a loss, 0 for a no-show. In case teams are tied after pool play, the tiebreakers are:
1. Head-to-head result between the tied teams.
2. Difference in points scored and allowed during pool play.
3. Difference in tries scored and allowed during pool play.
4. Points scored during pool play.
5. Coin toss.
Championship Points
April 02
Open Qualifying Tournament
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Hosted by the University of Alabama
15 South Carolina
14 Alabama
13 Mississippi State
12 Auburn
11 Tennessee
9.5 Georgia
9.5 Ole Miss
8 Florida
April 09
Open Qualifying Tournament
Knoxville, Tennessee
Hosted by the University of Tennessee
15 Kentucky
14 Alabama
13 Tennessee
12 Mississippi State
11 Georgia
10 Mississippi
8.5 South Carolina
8.5 Florida
07 Auburn